Do you often find yourself having the problem of not knowing where this certain foul smell comes from when you switch on your car’s air-conditioning?
After owning your car for a few years, you will start to lose what we like to call the ‘new car’ smell. That is when you start using car deodorants which will give your vehicle a whole new aroma. However, after a few years, each time you turn on the air-cond, a sour smell seemed to circulate before the deodorant kicks in?
So what is the cause of the problem?
Could it be a rodent that got trapped in the engine or your old shoes? While all of these can be the cause of the stench, take a while to understand that it could be your AC that needs to be serviced or even replaced.
But before you go out and spend hundreds (thousands depending on your car model) and give your AC a complete makeover, know that the stench could be from the bacteria that has grown within your ventilation system. This is quite common in countries like Malaysia due to our unique weather conditions which encourage humidity and heat that can result in bacteria.
Cause of the stench
The weather in Malaysia changes all the time and when the conditions within the ventilation system changes accordingly, it could kill the bacteria which will then cause the stenth.
Solution?
One thing for sure, there is nothing you can do to stop the bacteria growing. So there is no point turning your AC to circulate the air from outside. The only solution is to minimize the bacteria from growing. Check and see if the vents are not blocks. When your car is parked and there is some water dripping out under your car, it means that the drainage system is working fine. So the next time you see a small puddle of water underneath your car after being parked overnight, it might not be a bad sign after all.
